# US 12,000,939 B2 · Systems and methods of determining an improved user location using real world map and sensor data > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,939 B2 - Document ID: US12000939B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/340,587 - Filed: 2017-03-20 - Published: 2020-01-02 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-20 - Assignees: Google Inc. - Applicants: Google LLC - Inventors: Bhaskar Mehta; Chetan Bhadricha; Smruti Parichha; Jieru Cheng - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000939B2 ## CPC - G01S 19/50: whereby the position solution is constrained to lie upon a particular curve or surface, e.g. for locomotives on railway tracks - G01C 21/206: {specially adapted for indoor navigation} - G01S 5/0244: {Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto} - G01S 5/0269: {Inferred or constrained positioning, e.g. employing knowledge of the physical or electromagnetic environment, state of motion or other contextual information to infer or constrain a position} - G01S 19/42: Determining position - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) ## Abstract Systems and methods for determining an improved user location using real world map data and/or sensor data are provided. In one embodiment, the method can include obtaining an initial estimate of a location of a user device and maps information corresponding to a geographic area at least partially surrounding the initial estimate of the location of the user device. The maps information can include one or more physical boundaries located at least in part within the geographic area at least partially surrounding the initial estimate. The method can further include determining a set of permissible areas that can potentially include the user device. The set of permissible areas can be determined based at least in part on the one or more physical boundaries. The method can further include revising the initial estimate to provide a revised estimate for the location of the user device based at least in part on the set of permissible areas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for determining a user device location, comprising: obtaining, by one or more computing devices, an initial estimate of a location of a user device; obtaining, by the one or more computing devices, maps information corresponding to a geographic area at least partially surrounding the initial estimate of the location of the user device, the maps information including one or more physical boundaries located at least in part within the geographic area at least partially surrounding the initial estimate of the location of the user device, wherein the maps information associates features within an environment of the user device as being conditioned on one or more other parameters including a mode of travel such that a first feature is incompatible with a first mode of travel and a second feature is incompatible with a second mode of travel; obtaining, by the one or more computing devices, sensor data from one or more sensors provided within the user device; determining, by the one or more computing devices, the mode of travel based on the sensor data; determining, by the one or more computing devices, a set of permissible areas that can potentially include the user device, wherein the set of permissible areas is determined based at least in part on the one or more physical boundaries and at least in part on the mode of travel such that when the mode of travel is determined to be the first mode of travel, permissible areas corresponding to the first feature are excluded from the set of permissible areas and when the mode of travel is determined to be the second mode of travel, permissible areas corresponding to the second feature are excluded from the set of permissible areas; determining, by the one or more computing devices, if any one or more portions of the initial estimate of the location of the user device conflict with the set of permissible areas that can potentially include the user device; and revising, by the one or more computing devices, the initial estimate to provide a revised estimate for the location of the user device based at least in part on the set of permissible areas, by removing the one or more portions of the initial estimate that conflict with the set of permissible areas, the revised estimate corresponding to positional coordinates of the user device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data comprises information indicative of the location of the user device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining, by the one or more computing devices, sensor data from at least one of a motion sensor, an audio sensor, an image sensor, and a condition sensor provided within the user device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining, by the one or more computing devices, the initial estimate from one or more location sensors provided within the user device, wherein the initial estimate comprises one or more approximate locations associated with the user device at a given time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the revised estimate comprises data indicative of whether the user device is inside a building or outside a building, based at least in part on the sensor data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical boundaries includes one or more exterior building walls, interior building walls, fences, barriers, or other physical boundaries restricting movement of the user device within the geographic area at least partially surrounding the user device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the initial estimate is based at least in part on a revised estimate for a previous location of the user device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the initial estimate comprises at least one of GPS data, WiFi reception data, and cellular reception data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, the initial estimate to a maps server; and receiving, by the one or more computing devices, from the maps server, the maps information corresponding to the geographic area at least partially surrounding the initial estimate of the location of the user device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: retrieving, by the one or more computing devices, previously obtained maps information. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the initial estimate comprises a plurality of approximate locations associated with the user device at a given time. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of approximate locations associated with the user device is obtained from a different source. ### Claim 13 A computing system, comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising: obtaining an initial estimate of a location of a user device; obtaining maps information corresponding to a geographic area at least partially surrounding the initial estimate of the location of the user device, the maps information including one or more physical boundaries located at least in part within the geographic area at least partially surrounding the initial estimate of the location of the user device, wherein the maps information associates features within an environment of the user device as being conditioned on one or more other parameters including a mode of travel such that a first feature is incompatible with a first mode of travel and a second feature is incompatible with a second mode of travel; obtaining sensor data from one or more sensors provided within the user device; determining the mode of travel based on the sensor data; determining a set of permissible areas that can potentially include the user device, wherein the set of permissible areas is determined based at least in part on the one or more physical boundaries and at least in part on the mode of travel such that when the mode of travel is determined to be the first mode of travel, permissible areas corresponding to the first feature are excluded from the set of permissible areas and when the mode of travel is determined to be the second mode of travel, permissible areas corresponding to the second feature are excluded from the set of permissible areas; determining if any one or more portions of the initial estimate of the location of the user device conflict with the set of permissible areas that can potentially include the user device; and revising the initial estimate to provide a revised estimate for the location of the user device based at least in part on the set of permissible areas, by removing the one or more portions of the initial estimate that conflict with the set of permissible areas, the revised estimate corresponding to positional coordinates of the user device. ### Claim 14 A user device, comprising: one or more location sensors to obtain an initial estimate of a location of a user device; a maps application to obtain maps information corresponding to a geographic area at least partially surrounding the initial estimate of the location of the user device, the maps information including one or more physical boundaries located at least in part within the geographic area at least partially surrounding the initial estimate of the location of the user device, wherein the maps information associates features within an environment of the user device as being conditioned on one or more other parameters including a mode of travel such that a first feature is incompatible with a first mode of travel and a second feature is incompatible with a second mode of travel; one or more device sensors configured to provide sensor data indicative of the location of the user device; and one or more computing devices to: obtain sensor data from the one or more location sensors; determine the mode of travel based on the sensor data; determine a set of permissible areas that can potentially include the user device, wherein the set of permissible areas is determined based at least in part on the one or more physical boundaries and the mode of travel; determine if any one or more portions of the initial estimate of the location of the user device conflict with the set of permissible areas that can potentially include the user device such that when the mode of travel is determined to be the first mode of travel, permissible areas corresponding to the first feature are excluded from the set of permissible areas and when the mode of travel is determined to be the second mode of travel, permissible areas corresponding to the second feature are excluded from the set of permissible areas; and revise the initial estimate to provide a revised estimate for the location of the user device based at least in part on the set of permissible areas by removing the one or more portions of the initial estimate that conflict with the set of permissible areas. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The user device of claim 14, wherein the one or more device sensors comprise a barometer configured to measure atmospheric pressure, and wherein the revised estimate for the location of the user device includes an elevation position of the user device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The user device of claim 14, wherein the one or more device sensors comprise an audio sensor configured to obtain audio sensor data, and wherein the revised estimate for the location of the user device includes data indicative of whether the user device is inside a building or outside a building, based at least in part on the sensor data.